The Joining
by ShelliBear35
Summary: A frightened witch gives up her power to save her daughter while never knowing this act may also distroy the family's future and powers.
1. Chapter 1

"Run!" Patience's friend cried out from the pole that she had been tied to. It had happened again. Another witch had been caught and was about to be burned because of it. What did these people have against them? If these people only knew the good that witches did everyday of their lives then maybe witches would have a chance to live, but they were being more paranoid then rational. "Run!"  
  
The townspeople that had gathered to see the execution looked around to see who the witch was talking about. Luckily Patience had hid herself in the woods, and the ignorant citizens didn't even bother to search a little into the woods.  
  
Patience gazed at her friends through the leaves of the fall trees. She couldn't bare to see another one of her friends, another sister witch, die because of the duty that they saw in life. They risk their lives everyday to fight off demons and warlocks and end up dying in the hands of the vary people that they fight to save.  
  
Suddenly Patience realized that something seemed different, something was missing. It was her friend standing in the distance before her, but something wasn't the same. The feeling reminded her of when her sister had her hair cut off. It was the same person, but the image had changed. Then it came to her. Her friend wasn't wearing her necklace.  
  
It was a special necklace that she wore. It was in the shape of the outside of a crescent moon. It was made of a single piece of good metal. For so long witches had worn crescent moons, but too many had caught on. For some reason, no one saw the similarity between the old and new symbols and Patience hoped it stayed that way.  
  
Patience had three of them made, and she was the only witch left to wear it. Her best friend died wearing hers, and Patience removed it from the ashes after the crowd had dispersed. Though it hurt to see her best friend gone, it helped to know that she carried something that her friend held so dear to her heart.  
  
But this time was different. Why wasn't she wearing her necklace? Then Patience realized that if another witch were caught with the same necklace there secret symbol would be out in the open.  
  
Patience took a few steps backward as they lit the pile of brush underneath her feet. She remembered the last burning and the screams were too much for her, and she couldn't stand to hear them again. She ran as fast as she could, hoping that no one would hear her loud footsteps in the fallen leaves. Luckily no one did.  
  
As she reached the other side of the forest she collapsed in tears. Her hands reached toward the ground as though she were reaching for something. Her hands hit the ground and suddenly she was overwhelmed. It was a feeling that she had never had before, but she was also dizzy and nauseous. Now that was a feeling that was familiar. When she was pregnant with her only child, a daughter, she was sick all the time, but this was different.   
  
Patience felt like she was looking through someone else's eyes. She was tackled to the ground, and then she felt as if she was being strangled, though not by human hands. Then she realized what was causing her lack of breath. Someone was pulling on the necklace that was around her neck. Patience watched as the necklace fell to the ground with what seemed to be her dying breath.  
  
Then she collapsed to the ground. She awaited the townspeople to tie her hands behind her, but nothing happened. She slowly reached up to her neck and was surprised that her necklace was still there. "What is going on?" Patience muttered as she leaned her weary body against a nearby tree.  
  
As she lifted up her left hand she noticed something shinny. She moved aside some of the leaves that had fallen from the trees and discovered the missing necklace. "Elizabeth's necklace," Patience said as a tear rolled down her cheek. That was when she realized that she had just had a vision of Elizabeth being taken by the townspeople. "But I have never had a vision before, that was Beth's gift. I wonder if the necklace kept her powers, but she would have had to be wearing this when she died. "Ohmygod! She was strangled by--" The thought hurt Patience. To think that the necklace was used to kill her new best friend, but it was better than thinking of the pain of being burned alive. "At least she didn't feel it."  
  
Patience grabbed Elizabeth's necklace and headed toward her old farmhouse. She had some investigating to do, and there was no time like the present to start. 


	2. Chapter 2

Patience ran in her home and quietly shut the door in hopes to not wake her daughter up. As she sat down in a chair around the table Phoebe came in to comfort her obviously troubled mother.  
  
"What's wrong?" she asked.  
  
"Nothing honey. Go back to bed."  
  
Phoebe obediently turned around and went back to bed.  
  
But there was something wrong. It seemed like all of her friends were dying. Was it really worth it? Was it worth risking the life of her daughter? But on the other hand was it her place to deny Phoebe of the powers that she would inherit when she was old enough? "No, it isn't my place to decide. But my powers and her powers won't help anyone if we are dead. If only I could--"  
  
Patience stood up and walked over to the rug that hid the root cellar of her house. She grabbed the candle that she had lit on her way in and slowly descended the old wooden ladder. As she reached the bottom rung she felt her footing loosing hold. "I really need to get that fixed!" she scolder herself as she fought to stay upright. The ladder had been showing its age recently and one thing after another was breaking on it. "I might as well replace you," Patience said kicking the broken board.  
  
The shelves were half filled with jars of vegetables and fruits that Patience had prepared for the winter season. It wasn't a lot, but it would do just fine for two people. Patience reached down and moved the board that was under the bottom of the ladder. Underneath it was a book that had a leather cover and was thick with pages.  
  
She sat down on the floor and opened the book. "At least I still have you, my old friend. What am I going to do?" Patience flipped the pages one way and then another with a simple twitch of her finger. Her powers became more painful every time she used them. Finally she reached down with her hands and closed the book.  
  
"Momma?" a voice called from above. "Momma? Where are you?"  
  
"Just a second hon." Patience quickly hid the book and grabbed a jar from the shelf and ascended the ladder.  
  
"What are you doing down there so late?"  
  
"Just getting something for tomorrow. What do you need?"  
  
"I forgot to tell you that Jason came by. He said something about having a picnic tomorrow for lunch."  
  
"That sounds wonderful."  
  
Jason was the father of Phoebe, though he still hadn't asked Patience to marry him, they acted as if there were. There was just something keeping him from it. "I sure wish I knew what he is afraid of."  
  
"What mom?"  
  
"Nothing. Go back to bed, and this time stay in there."  
  
"Yes mother. I love you."  
  
"I love you too. Now, off to bed."  
  
***  
  
A few hours later Patience snuck out of bed. She had waited to make sure that her daughter was asleep. She didn't want anymore spying to take place. As she shut the door it squeaked so loudly, but from the front window Patience could see that Phoebe hadn't even budged. "If a demon did attack her I wonder if she would even wake up to see him before he killed--" Patience busted out in tears. What if that really did happen? She wouldn't be able to protect herself at all.  
  
As she reached the barn she opened the door and climbed up the ladder to the loft inside. The small door was open in the loft that let in the light of the full moon outside. Patience reached under some hay where she had placed Elizabeth's necklace the night before and Sarah's necklace the week before. As she held the two necklaces in her hand she reached up and removed her own necklace. She laid it in her hand with the others. It was all that she had left of her best friends' lives.  
  
Patience laid the crescents on the ground and connected them end-to-end so that it formed somewhat of a triangle. Actually the shape looked almost identical to the symbol on the front of her family book except that it was lacking the circle. As Patience reached down to disconnect the three necklaces she found that they didn't want to come apart. Somehow they had formed a new necklace, one that would always remind Patience of the friends she had lost.  
  
She quickly hid it underneath the hay again and went back to her bed. Hopefully she could get some sleep, but it sure wouldn't be easy. As she went in the house something drew her to going back into the cellar, but this time she used her powers to shut the door after she went in.  
  
"I am going to have to be more careful," she scolded herself when she realized that she hadn't put the book back in its hiding place. "If someone came down her and saw--" Patience stopped mid sentence when she realized that the book she had closed before was now open. Patience got down on her knees and read the message that the spirits surely left for her. But instead of seeing a spell Patience found three sheets of long folded paper. As she opened each one she realized that the papers were birth certificates for Elizabeth, Patience, and Sarah.  
  
"How did these get here?" Sarah asked as though there was someone there to give her an answer. A light appeared in the small cellar and Patience became ready to attack the intruder.  
  
"I put them there," the image responded. Patience looked up and realized that the personage wasn't an evil entity at all.  
  
"Mother! But why?"  
  
"Because it is time to know who you really are."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"You are one of three sisters. Sarah and Elizabeth were not only your best friends they were my daughters."  
  
"And why did you wait until now to tell me."  
  
"Do you remember reading the prophecy in the beginning of the book?"  
  
"Yes, you read it to me."  
  
"I was always scared that it was describing the three of you. I couldn't bare to loose all three of my daughters in the way that I imagined. Still, even though I separated you it still happened."  
  
"What do you mean loose the three of us? I am still alive."  
  
"Yes, you are now, but I know that the three of my daughters don't live--"  
  
"Do you mean that I am going to die? But when and why?"  
  
"I can not tell you that. You should know that is true."  
  
"Yes, I do."  
  
"But what about Phoebe?"  
  
"She will be fine. Don't worry. The spirits will protect her."  
  
"And why won't they protect me?"  
  
"They have, but your time is soon up. But not for a while."  
  
"But why?"  
  
"Patience, did I ever tell you where your name came from?"  
  
"No."  
  
"As a baby still inside of me you waited long after your time to join us in this world. The woman that delivered you said that you were the most patient baby she had ever seen. Do not loose that quality now. When your time is over your life with me will return, and one day your daughter will join us."   
  
"But mother, our powers weren't the greatest ever known. We weren't the Charmed Ones."  
  
"I know, but I thought that if they didn't grow up with their powers that they would never find them. I was wrong. Still, the power of three never did developed."  
  
"The power of three?"  
  
"Yes, that is what Melinda called it."  
  
"Your powers when joined together could have been the greatest ever known." With those last words her mother, Cassandra, disappeared just as she had come. 


	3. Chapter 3

"Momma its time to get up. The sun is already up."  
  
Patience looked at the sun. It had been up for hours. "Yes darling. We have a picnic to prepare so I guess I should get out of bed."  
  
"A picnic!!! With Jason!!!"  
  
"Yes sweetie. Now lets get you changed before he gets here."  
  
"Can I wear my white dress? Please."  
  
"I guess, but you have to be careful."  
  
"I will be."  
  
"Okay. You're such a sweet girl. You know that don't you."  
  
"Yes mother. I love you too."  
  
Patience smiled. Phoebe was sure growing up fast.  
  
***  
"Phoebe, stay here a minute and look out for Jason."  
  
"But I thought we were meeting him at the wishing well."  
  
"I'm sure glad that you remembered that. I forgot."  
  
"Well, wait here anyway. I'll be back in a minute."  
  
"Okay Mother."  
  
Patience walked over to the barn and climbed the ladder to the loft. She retrieved the necklace that she had hid the night before and put it around her neck. She quickly returned to her waiting daughter.  
  
"Are you ready Ma?"  
  
"Yes sweetie. Lets go meet Jason."  
  
***  
  
"Patience! I was starting to wonder if you were coming."  
  
"Of course we came. We just got postponed for a few minutes."  
  
"So what do we have to eat?" Jason asked looking into the basket that Patience held in her hands.  
  
"Fried chicken."  
  
"My favorite!"  
  
"I know. That's why I made it."  
  
"Momma, can I go to the wishing well?"  
  
"Just a moment."  
  
"No, you go ahead. I'll set up the picnic."  
  
"Thank you Jason. She's been wanting to see the well for days."  
  
Patience and Phoebe walked over to the old well. "Can I get a drink?"  
  
"No hon. It is salt water. It wouldn't taste too good."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"But here is a penny. Make a wish."  
  
"Only if you make one too."  
  
"Okay, I wish that Jason ask you to marry him," Phoebe looked up at her mother and smiled. Patience smiled back.  
  
"I hope he does too."  
  
"Now your turn."  
  
"I wish--" Patience finished the wish silently. I wish that my powers go away so that I can have a normal life.  
  
"Momma, what did you wish for?"  
  
"I--wished--the same thing you did. Now lets get back to Jason."  
  
When they reached the clearing they saw that Jason had set up the dinner. The three of them all set down and ate together.  
  
"Patience. I have something to ask you."  
  
Phoebe smiled at her mother. She knew what Jason was going to ask.  
  
Jason got down on one knee and held out a golden band. "Will you marry me?"  
  
"Yes." With that one word the wind picked up and the ring flew off of his hand. Before she knew what was going on the ring hit her chest. As she looked down at the necklace that was around her neck she realized that the charm was complete.  
  
"Run!" Patience shouted. Jason picked up Phoebe and ran toward the old farmhouse thinking that Patience was not far behind. When he reached the house he realized that for some reason she hadn't followed, but the storm was too violent to try to find her now. 


	4. Chapter 4

Patience stood in the middle of the field and tried to keep her footing. Finally she headed toward the well which she hoped would provide her with some protection.   
  
What had happened? She tried to follow Jason, but something was holding her from walking away. An energy was holding her in a protective circle, keeping her from leaving to get to safety. But luckily the well was inside the circle.  
  
The rain started to fall harder and she leaned against the rock wall around the well. Suddenly she felt something pick her up by the neck. When she opened her eyes she saw a man in a sorcerers cloak. "It's about time that I found you."  
  
"What? Who?"  
  
"Oh hush. I know who you really are. You're a witch, and all witches must die."  
  
Tears ran down her face. She didn't want to be a witch. Not if it meant that her daughter would grow up without a mother. "I don't want to be--"  
  
"If that is true then you would be willing to give up your powers, but you--"  
  
"I would give them up--if I could."  
  
"You can."  
  
"And you would spare my life?"  
  
"Yes. I would not kill you."  
  
"What do I have to do?"  
  
The man reached up and grabbed the necklace that was around her neck. He pulled on it until the chain broke. Then he began to chant. "I call upon the spirits in this hour; Take back this witches power; Lock it inside this charm I hold; To keep until ages old."  
  
"Is that all? I mean am I free?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And what happens if someone finds it?"  
  
"They won't." The man tossed the charm into the well. "It is lost forever."  
  
"But what will happen?"  
  
"They will be very sorry."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because it will turn them evil."  
  
"And why is that?"  
  
"Because I am." The man turned into a creature of darkness and threw Patience against a nearby tree. "Did you really think that I would let you live. I have killed your sisters and now I have ended the treat. The Charmed Ones will never be."  
  
"But the Charm--"  
  
"If somehow someone does find it, they will become evil. And only a demon can rid them of the curse." The man looked back at Patience and his skin glowed red. He lifted up his hand and sent an energy bolt at her, and then disappeared.  
  
Patience finally found herself able to move. She ran as fast as she could toward her home, but nothing was going to be the same. How could she have destroyed the future of her family, but at least she was out of danger now. But what about her mother's prophecy. She had never been wrong before. 


End file.
